Coopah How To: Overcome Injury
In this series of ‘HOW TO’ blogs, we are going to share our tips for the most common questions we get asked by our community of runners, and this blog is all about How To Overcome Injury.
Unfortunately the chances are that at some point, everyone will experience an injury during their running journey. And we know, it totally sucks. It may mean that you have to miss your race & stop running for a period of time, but it doesn’t always mean that you have to stop completely and lose all the progress you have made.
So if you are currently injured, or perhaps coming back from an injury, hopefully these tips will help!
Speak to a professional
First and foremost, if you have picked up an injury we would always recommend speaking to a professional before you do anything else. By speaking to your GP/Sports Doctor/Physio you will hopefully be able to get a diagnosis and they can also help to treat the issue so that it doesn’t happen again.
Rest & Recover
Even if your injury still allows you to exercise, it is still super important that you prioritise rest & recovery, as this is the only way your body will be able to repair! So whilst it can be tempting to spend hours in the gym, on the bike or in the pool, remember to still schedule those all important rest days, and hopefully it will mean you can get back to running sooner!
Cross Training
As we mentioned in the point above, just because you have an injury, it doesn’t always mean you need to stop exercising completely. It can be hard when we don’t get to do the thing we enjoy most, but use this time off running to try something new, and you never know… you might even enjoy it! But please remember to follow the professionals advice, and only do exercises/workouts that they have prescribed or suggested.
Here are some suggestions of things you can try;
Aqua Jogging
Swimming
Cycling
Spinning
Cross Trainer
Yoga & Pilates
Strength Training
Stay Positive!
Look, we know it totally sucks when you get an injury, so allow yourself the time to feel sad about it, but after that, its time to be proactive and stay positive! Recovering from an injury can be a slow process, but its really important to focus on any progress (no matter how small!) you make a long the way. So make sure you celebrate small victories along the way, and remember that setbacks are a natural part of the process.
It can also really help to set yourself a goal to aim for in the future, it doesn’t have to be anything big, it could just be getting back down to parkrun once you are recovered, but by having something to aim for that can really help to keep you motivated & to stay positive on those days where things might feel a bit tough!
Don’t be afraid to start again.
After a long period of time off running - whether thats due to an injury, pregnancy + postpartum or an illness, it is important that when you do get back to running, you don’t do too much too soon. We would really recommend reintroducing running slowly and using the walk/run method so you can gradually build up the time you spend running, without pushing your body too much.
Our Beginner 5k plans are perfect for introducing you back into running + building you up sensibly to being able to run for 30 minutes continuously. We totally get that it can be frustrating to feel like you are starting again, but just try to remember, you know what you are capable of, and with a bit of patience + hard work, there is no reason why you can’t get back there again!
Here at Coopah, our aim is to support every runner on their journey, so if you are wanting to start yours today, then download our app to get started!
Download Coopah Today!
A fully personalised training plan built around your availability and goals
Unlimited coaching support 24/7
Streaks and incentives to keep you motivated
Access to our community of other runners, physios and mental health experts to give you support and advice up to the day.
Track your progress and your weekly/monthly mileage